Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Policy For Triad River Tours (please read thoroughly)

Should you have to cancel your trip plans, deposits and final payments are non-refundable. Alternate guests are always welcome to come in your place, at no charge. If we replace your canceled space(s) with other guests, a cancellation fee is charged - $50 per person for single day trips, $150 per person for 3 or 4 Day trips and $200 per person for 5 or 6 Day trips. If you feel you may not be able to make your trip please inform us as soon as possible and we can try to find alternate guests. You own spaces on our rafts because you've paid for them. As soon as a reservation is made we lose the right to sell that trip to someone else. Our opportunity cost for every space on every trip is the retail price. If you have purchased a trip, the amount you have paid is relevant not to the amount of money it costs us to run the trip with you, but rather the amount that it costs for us to prepare a trip for you (we do not save money when you cancel a trip; the costs are the same for us). We price our trips at rates which ensure high quality and competitive wages for professional guides. We never make exceptions to this policy. We do this out of a legal and ethical commitment to running safer trips and compensate our employees fairly.

Triad River Tours is under a legal and ethical obligation to treat its employees with respect and pay them fairly; and you as a customer are the most important part of that obligation as our guides are paid directly from the funds we receive when you make a booking. We must enlist guides to begin preparing for your river trip on the day that you make your reservation. We make a commitment to our employees as soon as you make your reservation, and they make a commitment to be your guide for that day. We believe that guides work best when they run the same river again and again with a consistent plan and execution. Guides work best when they are familiar with the team structure and personnel with which they are running the river. So, even if you cancel your trip, our guides run the trip together and follow the exact same safety protocol if you showed up or not. There is no difference, in terms of cost, between a trip which is ran with or without you; once you make a reservation, we put the plan in place. Adapting a safety protocol or changing it as a result of a cancellation is not safe, and we will not do it. We believe strongly that preparation, and early placement of the appropriate guides, is a key element to why our trips are some of the safest in the industry. We are proud of our safety record and we believe that our cancelation policy empowers safer trips.. If your group does not show up, we will run the exact same trip, just as we would have if you were there, in order to provide the same level of safety for our other guests. Note that it is not cheaper for us to run the trip without you. Your money went to the staff provided for that trip, who are guaranteed a wage, and are covered by law to be paid.

We promise that our guides are paid even if a trip is cancelled. It is a reflection of our commitment to safety and preparation on the river and a belief that the most qualified guides are going to require the most considerable compensation. In order for us to continue employing top quality professional guides, we find it necessary to ensure that they are guaranteed a fair wage for their efforts, even in the case of unavoidable trip cancellations for any reason whatsoever. Unlike other companies who leave a slew of undertrained guides always at the ready, we consistently pay our guides on time for every single trip. This commitment starts with the contract you engage in when you make a reservation, which results in our commitment to run a safe trip with the most thoroughly competent guides who demand and deserve a fair wage for their work.

Please understand that we cannot insure your investment in river trip reservations. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Once you sign up, we lose the right to sell your reserved space to other individuals or groups. Our number of trips and spaces per trip are limited by river management plans. We regret that we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies. You must show up on time to rafting trips. We are committed to the safety of all people on the trip, and if you are late we reserve the right to adapt the trip to the lesser number, and run the trip without you.

Triad River Tours operates under strict safety protocols and reserves the right to move your reservation to a different section of river if conditions are even remotely unsafe. Typically this will involve a minor inconvenience, but in the interests of doing business safely, we cannot accept cancelations in the event of an itinerary change for safety reasons.

Trip Insurance

We will send you information on Trip Insurance on request. Cancellation and interruption insurance can include full refund should you cancel due to health, medical and other reasons. If you cannot afford to forfeit your reservation dollars, you should purchase trip cancellation insurance.

Final Payments

All payments are due at time of reservation.

Charter Trips

Check with us regarding "exclusive" charter trip reservations. Rates are typically around $400 per boat (seats up to 8 people).

Assumption of Risk

You will be required to sign an "assumption of risk agreement" in order to join a river trip with Triad River Tours.

Children and Minors (under 18)

Triad River Tours grants permission to minors on rafting trips on a case by case basis. In general, all Skagit River Scenic Float trips, such as the Eagle Watching and Wine Tasting, can take any child 50 lbs. and higher. Children weighing at least 50lbs are invited on the Upper Skagit River and should be prepared to swim in whitewater. Sauk River Whitewater is available for minors who have previous whitewater experience or have passed rescue tests the day of the trip. All Sauk River guests must weigh at least 90lbs or receive special permission (due to fitment into appropriate life jackets) at the time of booking (please feel free to call 360-510-1243). All Skykomish River guests must weight at least 90lbs and be at least 14 years of age with no exceptions.

If we cancel a trip

Sometimes trips do not meet minimum participant requirements, or due to river conditions (or otherwise) certain trips may occasionally fail to meet the safety thresholds of our protocol systems (these are available for you to read on the webpages of every trip). These safety protocols are independently audited by professional rescue agencies, and they constitute vital information which is part of our contracts with government agencies such as the National Parks Service, or the United States Forest Service. Breaking these protocols is only done when our river managers make special exceptions. If we ever cancel a trip due to conditions you will be given the opportunity to transfer your reservation to another river (if applicable). If we cancel a trip cannot offer you a similar trip on the same day, we will refund your money immediately and in full.

Note that none of our river trips meet at our office location (there are no rivers in Bellingham)